Slow Motion
by lovesxcontagious
Summary: Brooke Davis receives a haunting vision about what her life could have been. She is shown how one decision altered her life forever. Brucas. Rated T for language and mild sexual content in later chapters.
1. The Crash

**AN: **Hey guys, although this isn't my first BL fic, it's my first on here. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and comments are so great. I already have the second and third chapter written, so lets say 5 reviews for the second chapter? I think that's reasonable. Follow my twitter for write along updates, the link is on my author page. Thanks for checkin' out the story. For the hardcore Brucas fans, like myself, I promise there will be some Brucas loving later, just not right away. Patience is a virtue ;)

xoxo, Enjoy!

_Slow Motion_

**I. The Crash**

Rain came down in sheets that day. It made the pavements slick and the sidewalks glisten, and made the life of Brooke Davis miserable. She woke up to the sound of rolling thunder and she groaned loudly. She hated driving in inclement weather, especially today. Today, when it was cold and she felt ill already. Rolling over, she rested her left hand on the man lying in bed beside her, Julian Baker. Julian was the most mature relationship she had ever been in, and that was exactly how she described it. Julian was safe, and wonderful; he was supportive, and secure. Passion wasn't in his or her dictionary anymore. Everything was planned. Their days consisted of Brooke waking up, showering, making coffee for the two of them and waking Julian. Afterward, Brooke would get ready for work and kiss Julian on her way out the door. It was nothing exciting, just a quick peck on the cheek and a, "See you later." Brooke's day started out this way, everyday. This schedule included this day. This day which, Brooke considered, was completely _inside_ the ordinary, well, except for the ridiculous rain.

Brooke slid into the leather seats of her BMW, pressing the wrinkles from her black pencil skirt. She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror, sighing. Every time she looked at herself she expected to see a different person; a person she missed. She expected to see chocolate brown, breast-length hair, instead of her charcoal shoulder-length hair pulled back into a tight bun. She expected to see bright lips, a dimpled smile, heavy eye make up. Instead, she looked at nude lips with a light coating of mascara, and lips pressed into a thin line; an expression she now made out of habit and without fault or trying. She longed to see a pair of jeans, or a halter top, but no. That girl was almost a fantasy, a memory that was long-lost. She tore her eyes away from the mirror and pressed the button clipped onto her visor, unanimously hearing her garage door clamor to life and open, revealing the heavy rain. Brooke sighed again and put her car in reverse, resigned to averting her eyes from her own reflection for the rest of the car ride.

The rain was going to be the death of her, she had decided. Brooke had her windshield wipers on full speed, and could only get a glimpse of the road every few swipes. She pushed the button for the hazard lights and pulled off to the edge of the road. She hit the break hard when she heard a very disheartening bang beneath her car. Grasping her steering wheel, she breathed deeply and took her keys out of the ignition. Brooke opened her car door, cringing away from the rain. Six inch heels were not made for mud and rain and especially not changing a tire. Brooke looked at her front wheel and saw that one side of it was very much flat. She groaned and bent over to pull the handle to unlock her truck, when she felt a tap on the small of her back and heard a voice, "Can I help you with that, honey?"

Brooke clenched her teeth and turned around, about to snap at the incredibly rude individual who called her 'honey,' when she fell back into the seat of her car. Lucky her car was there, or else she would have fallen directly in the muddy shoulder of the road. She looked at the soft laugh lines on the man's forehead and the beautiful smile that encompassed his face. He had an unnatural glow about him, but his presence was incredibly comforting to Brooke. She hadn't seen this man in years. She thought back briefly to the girl she wish she saw in the mirror, and looked fondly again on the days when that was her. This man brought back all those memories, and more, because he had been there. He had known that girl. He knew that girl much better than he knew the girl gaping at him now. Brooke realized now would be a good time to speak, since his smile was faltering. She cleared her throat tentatively, feeling again like a small child. She glanced at the ground, and then back up at the man, before testing the waters of conversation. The only thing she could think to say was one word, a name, really. One name, this mans name, "Keith?"

He nodded silently, still smiling, and held open his arms for her. He chucked softly, "Don't I get a hug? Or is big fashion designer Brooke Davis more of a handshake gal now?"

Brooke pressed her palm to her forehead and laughed, pushing herself up and into the man's arms. He didn't seem to have aged, which would make sense being that he was supposed to be dead. Brooke released her grip suddenly and stumbled, leaning against her wet car. She glanced at Keith with a look of concern, but was blinded by the sun. _The sun? _Brooke looked around wildly, trying to find any other form of life that could explain to her what in the hell was going on here, but found only Keith. He would have to do, "Don't take this the wrong way," Brooke began, as she started pacing and wracking her mind for some type of explanation, "but you're supposed to be dead. Why are you here?"

Keith nodded, as if that was a completely logical question; as if this conversation was actually going on between the two of them. He walked to the back of her car and opened the trunk, making himself busy getting all the necessities out to change Brooke's tire before he answered, "I'm here to help you, Brooke." He was bent on one knee and glancing up at her as he spoke. She made brief eye contact and stopped pacing. She tilted her head to one side and then shook it, because nothing in the world made sense at this moment. None of this could really be happening. Keith was dead, and it was supposed to be raining!

Brooke laughed, exasperated. The only she could do at this point was laugh. How do you respond when your dead, ex-boyfriend's uncle slash father figure comes and changes your tire for you, then proceeds to make the weather change and ward off all other human beings? She could not begin to comprehend what was going on, let alone what would happen next. Suddenly, she felt that she wasn't going to be going to work today. She collapsed into the seat of her car, almost eye-level to Keith. "Help me with what?" She inquired in a voice that made it obvious that she was surrendering to whatever freaky dream-sequence this was supposed to be.

"I'm here to help you figure out what you really want." Keith stated it simply, as though it should have been completely obvious to Brooke.

"I already know what I want. I want a soy latte` from Starbucks, I want to go to work, I want to go home, and I want to take a bubble bath." She let her mind wander a little and then added that maybe she'd have a glass of red wine.

Keith looked up at her again, removing his concentration from the shot tire. He chuckled, shaking his head, "That's all you want out of life?" He suddenly looked very serious.

Brooke chewed her lip silently and then thought hard for a moment. No one had ever asked her, so point-blank, what she wanted out of _everything, _her whole life. She shrugged, "I guess, I want to marry Julian. Have children." She choked on the word children, knowing that it couldn't happen. She was never remotely close to being pregnant; at least, not since high school.

Keith motioned his head over to a red tow truck parked behind Brooke's. She hadn't even noticed that the _Keith Scott Auto Body Shop_ truck that used to belong to Lucas, was sitting in prime condition behind her car. He started walking in front of her, motioning her along every so often until they reached the car. Keith opened the passenger door for her and she got in without hesitation, she was curious. Keith got into the driver's side and looked at her directly in the face as he said, "You can have everything you want. You just have to know what it is that you want."

Brooke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and then she shook her head. She looked in her lap and sighed pathetically. "No," she mumbled, "I can't."

Keith put a finger under her chin and brought her face eye level to his. He smiled, "I want you to meet someone." He shoved the keys in the ignition and began to drive as Brooke's thoughts wandered. She wondered what it would be like to have a child of her own, and a husband that she could share all her past, her present, and her dreams with. She loved Julian, true, but there was no stopping the doubts once she started to really think about their relationship. Is that really what love was? All these thoughts and more rushed through Brooke's head as they drove, until Keith stopped in front of a decent-sized house. She got immense déjà vu as she got out of the car, because the house looked rather similar to the house she grew up in. As they got closer, Brooke realized it wasn't the same, but it had the same construction, and it had the red door. She smiled to herself and looked around, finally catching up to Keith, who was halfway up the walk to the front door. She cleared her throat but Keith made no explanation as he opened the door. Again, it seemed as though there was no significant life until she saw a girl, who looked somewhere between the ages of 3-5 from afar, running across the hall in front of her. She disappeared as quickly as she came, and Brooke's heart panged. She couldn't tell you why, it felt like a reflex from another life. Something far-off, that she couldn't put her finger on. Keith looked at her and smiled, "Come on."

Brooke looked around, following slowly behind Keith. She didn't know where she was, or whose child that was, but she knew it was definitely not normal to be waltzing into someone's house uninvited. She looked around skeptically, "Are you sure this is legal?"

Keith's laughter boomed through the large ceilings and he nodded, "I promise, it's completely legal. I'm tight with the owners." He winked at her and she shrugged in return. Keith wrapped an arm around Brooke's shoulders, "Now, I want you meet Savannah."


	2. The Moment

Hey guys! I wanna thank you all for your replies, they mean a lot to me. I recommend anyone who wants to keep tabs on the story follow me on twitter, because I do write along updates. I'm going to probably start a new write along for the third chapter tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and we'll say 15 reviews for the next chapter? I already have 7, so it will be 8 more for the next.

Enjoy :)

**II. The Moment**

They walked into what Brooke assumed was a living room, with a large brown leather couch, with stylish interior decorating. She made a mental note to ask Keith whose house this was, and if she could possibly get the name of their decorator. After she finished fawning over the furniture, her attention was brought to a small lounge chair in the corner of the room. It matched the couch, but it looked much larger than it actually was because of the tiny girl sitting the chair. Brooke looked at her, concluding this must be Savannah. She wondered who she was. She had hair that was a few shades darker than that of Lucas, and she wondered absently if the genes actually did belong to him. Had Peyton and Lucas had another child she didn't know about? She dismissed the thought from her mind and turned to Keith, "Whose..?"

Keith cut her off mid-sentence and answered the question for her, "Yours." He smiled at the little girl, who clutched a small white teddy bear in her arms and had a coloring book lying across her lap. She held a purple crayon in her small fist and was scribbling all over the page, essentially ignoring all the lines. Savannah leaned towards her bear and whispered something in its ear. Brooke watched her carefully; looking for any signs that the child may actually belong to her besides the distinct feeling in her gut that told her what Keith was saying was true. She walked towards her slowly, and with purpose. Savannah giggled and dimples appeared on her cheeks. Brooke gaped at the little girl and tears filled her eyes.

"How is this happening?" Brooke looked at Keith with watery eyes and begged for explanation, "What is this?" she hurled questions at him with anger, "Why are you doing this to me?" She felt like she was being tortured. She knew when she woke up from this freakish dream, she would no longer have the dirty-blonde, starry-eyed daughter that made her chest swell. It felt as though her heart were going to burst before the hysteria stopped in its tracks. Her hair; Brooke closed the distance between herself and the little girl and let the hair fall through her fingers. Savannah didn't seem to notice, but Keith did.

"Don't ask a question you already know the answer to, Brooke." He sighed and leaned against the doorframe, knowing that she was smart and was more than capable of connecting the dots all on her own.

"Lucas." Her knees were weak and she walked away from the girl, and back to Keith. She couldn't bear to look at her anymore, she felt as though she was going to lose it at any second.

Keith understood, grasping the underside of her elbow and guiding Brooke into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair for her, sat her in it, and went to the counter to make coffee. He decided now would be a good time to explain what was going on before Brooke became completely incoherent to any sense. He put the coffee pot in the coffee maker and faced Brooke, taking a breath and trying to gather his thoughts. "Do you remember the first time you met Lucas, Brooke?" He decided this would be a good place to start.

Brooke nodded thoughtfully, yes, she remembered. Lucas had been a flame in her life that never seemed to go out. One that no one, even herself, could let go of. People grasped onto their relationship for years after it was over, and she still remember all the details. She tried to regain her composure and she responded, simply, "Yes."

Keith nodded; he believed that the fact that she was still conscious was always a good sign. He poured two cups of coffee and went to join Brooke at the kitchen table, sitting across from her. He began again, "When you first met Lucas, you said something very profound. You said that everyone has moments that change their lives forever." He sipped at his coffee and pushed Brooke's towards her, encouraging her to drink it.

She nodded, grasping her coffee but not bringing it to her lips. Just staring aimlessly and absorbing Keith's words. Brooke sniffled, "So. This is like, what? A choice?" she looked around and wondered if, given the opportunity, she would choose this life. She wondered what it would come with. Marrying Lucas? She wondered if he'd be sleeping with Peyton the side and then rolled her eyes.

Keith pressed his lips together and shook his head, "I wish it was that simple, but no. This is a choice that you've already opted out of, Brooke." Keith took another sip of his coffee and then looked at Brooke's crestfallen expression. He went further in depth. "There was a time when Lucas thought, no, he knew that you were the one for him. He truly believed that you were going to spend the rest of your lives together." Keith sighed and leaned against his chair for support, "You decided not to when you-"

"Broke up with him," Brooke rolled her eyes at the obviousness of the conclusion. Of course; this was simply what would have happened if she had stuck with Lucas instead of getting out of a toxic relationship. She felt a bit lighter about losing this option since Keith basically confirmed that she and Lucas' marriage would be one of insecurity, just like their relationship.

Keith shook his head, "No, no." He smiled because this was the part that he liked the most, "This is what would have happened if you never forgave Peyton." He watched her face contort from confusion, to rage, to disappointment.

She went back to confusion and then asked him, "Wait, and elaborate please."

Keith's expression softened as he looked the chocolate-eyed girl. She had grown significantly, of course, but she was very much the same girl he had once known. He decided to walk down memory lane later, and went on explaining the situation. "If you had never forgiven Peyton, she would have given up on winning back your friendship." Brooke nodded, but she still had no idea how this had anything to do with her relationship with Lucas. Keith continued, "A lot of your insecurities with Lucas stemmed from his relationship with Peyton, and Luke beat himself up a lot for it. He also had you being friends with her as a scapegoat." Keith sighed, "The main difference; the moment that changed everything?" Keith sighed, "The same moment that ended my life, Brooke."

She tilted her head, her thoughts swimming with confusion. Brooke placed a hand over Keith's and whispered, "The shooting?" She still didn't realize how this could be such an important moment in her and Lucas' relationship; she wasn't even in the school.

Keith walked Brooke through it, assuming that she needed baby steps. This was a very big difference to take in, and Keith didn't want Brooke to blame everything bad that happened on this day on Peyton. A lot of different moments formed the conclusion that the day came to. There were many different scenarios that would have caused Keith to die in that school on that particular day. Keith sighed and went on, "Lucas never would have gone back into the school that day, because he never would have known Peyton was in there." Brooke looked down, her thoughts tumbling over one another. Could she truly regret the decision that saved her best friends life? She didn't know. Maybe Peyton never deserved forgiveness, she didn't know again. She continued to listen to Keith speak, "You are the one that told Lucas that Peyton was in the school. If you had never forgiven her, if your friendship had ended, you never would have known."

Brooke sighed and put her head in her hands, "Would you still have gone back inside, Keith; If Lucas wasn't there?"

Keith nodded thoughtfully, "I like to think that I would have, for Jimmy." He shrugged, "But then again, I don't have any dead friends to come show me what would have happened if I didn't."

Brooke smiled sadly at the joke, but couldn't bring herself to truly laugh. Poor Keith stuck here explaining to her what could have been. Aren't these the things you aren't supposed to dwell on? Aren't these the things that cause people like Dan to live forever in their pasts? She spoke softly again, "Did Peyton die in there, Keith?"

He shook his head, "No, Peyton didn't die. She lost a lot of blood, but she survived." Keith cleared his throat and looked at Brooke, "She dropped out, couldn't stand the memories, I would guess." He shrugged and looked afar, letting his thoughts swim.

Brooke nodded also, thoughtfully. She wondered why she was being shown all this now, in some bizarre dream. She supposed that should be her next question. "Why am I here?"

Keith looked at her directly and folded his hands, he was dreading this moment. He sighed and looked down at the table, flicking an invisible speck of dust. He looked back and Brooke and finally responded, "Because you're dead, Brooke."


	3. Memories

**AN: **Hey guys! So glad you liked the teaser. This is the full version of Memories, which is the third chapter. I didn't want to post them in two different parts because I ended up continuing right off the end of the teaser so it would have been really choppy if I broke it up. So here it is, a full 824 words longer :) I'm working on the fourth chapter already, so let's say 40 reviews for the next chapter? Enjoy :) XOXO

Oh, and by the way I included some information in here that I probably should have in the previous chapters (ages, etc.) but I didn't mention that this is before the Brulian wedding, but after they were engaged. So it takes place around the middle or beginning of the 8th season.

**III. Memories**

There was a distinct feeling of grief washing over the people who pulled Brooke Davis' limp body from her wrecked BMW that morning. You never get used to the job of being an EMT, because how can you ever grow accustomed to seeing someone's body broken? Or watching someone suffer? No one can ever get used to that.

During her years in high school, many people overlooked Abigail Brown. For three years, she was practically invisible in school to those who weren't her friends; she liked it that way. Going to Tree Hill High she, of course, knew who Brooke was. Looking at the bruised and bloodied Brooke Davis was disheartening for Abby, as she had watched Brooke's life in high school from afar; as if she were a celebrity. Strapping her to the gurney, Abby was transported to a life far away from the one she lived now.

_She was running, air coming too hard to her lungs. She wept. Wept for the ones she left behind in the tutor center, and for Jimmy. A mere child, he was compelled to bring a gun and shoot up their school. She collapsed into the nearest classroom and cried. Her body was being wracked by her tears, combined with the fatigue she was feeling because she needed her insulin so badly. She took a shaky breath and attempted to pull herself up to leave. She glanced out the window to see an exchange between Jimmy and Keith, the local mechanic and uncle to Lucas Scott. She covered her mouth and sobbed again, watching Jimmy turn the gun on himself. The emotions she was feeling would never be able to be put into words; at least, no words that would do them justice. The scene unfolded before her eyes, and she watched an innocent man get killed by his own brother. Her life was never going to be the same again._

Keith's eyes refocused, snapping out of the memory. He always hated when Abby would think of that moment. The amazing thing about dying, he thought, was that you always know when someone is thinking of you. You feel it, almost like a tug in the back of your mind. Their face appears in your mind; their memories fill your thoughts. It makes you realize how truly loved and missed you were. As the years go on, memories come less and less. Abby didn't think of Keith as often as she used to, but every time was the same. Keith practically memorized the scene by now, but each time Dan pulled the trigger, it was as if he could feel the wound open again. Then he would return to wherever he was, and remember. Remember that he couldn't feel pain any longer. That the wound would never bleed again.

He had been watching Brooke for a while now. Watching her glance at Savannah, glance out the door, and cry. There was a lot of crying in the beginning. Keith wished her could take away her pain; tell her that everything was going to be okay. Unfortunately, nothing would ever be the same, whether Brooke survived the crash or not. Yes, the possibility of her survival was there, as always, because who knew what modern day technology could do? It took Lucas from the brink of death, back to life. Brooke could have the same luck. Then again, Keith countered, she could have the same amount of luck that he did. He cleared his throat and rested his hand over hers, prodding her gently, "You alright?"

Brooke's eyes were glazed over, but she had stopped crying. Crying would get her nowhere; bring her nothing. She cast a forlorn look at Savannah before looking over at Keith; she was still sitting on the leather armchair, coloring happily outside the lines. Her blonde hair left a curtain between her face and her mother's prying eyes, but Brooke couldn't get the blue eyes and prominent dimples from her mind. She wondered idly how her daughter got such luck, getting her father's beautiful eyes. Brooke never thought anyone could make them look better, but Savannah had proved her wrong. Tearing her eyes from her daughter, Brooke looked back at Keith and nodded, "I'm okay." She sighed deeply and wondered how she still felt so worn out by everything that was happening if she was dead.

Keith smiled and nodded, getting up from his seat. He looked at Brooke and held his hand to her, "So are you ready for what's next?" He looked rather hopeful that her answer would be yes, and Brooke felt guilty that she'd have to say no.

"Um, that depends." She commented, taking his hand. Brooke trusted Keith, to an extent. However, she did realize there was only a small chance or actually experiencing anything that was going on right now. People don't just have ghosts come and guide them around what their life could have been. Brooke sighed and decided that, since she didn't know how to get out of this situation, she had no other choice, "What's next?" As Keith moved towards the door, Brooke hesitated. She looked at the little girl, her daughter, and let go of Keith's hand. Approaching her slowly, as if going any faster would scare her off or make her disappear; Brooke sat on the armrest of the chair. She looked at the picture the little girl was drawing, took in her floral-printed dress and little flip flops. Sparkly pink nail polish graced her tiny toes, and Brooke once again ran her fingers through her blonde locks. She had come to terms with the fact that Savannah whether she was a figment of Brooke's imagination or not, did not realize Brooke was there. With a shaking voice and tear-filled eyes, Brooke knelt down and whispered to the little girl, "You're the most beautiful girl in the world." She pressed her lips to her forehead and turned her back before she lost the will to leave. Brooke felt that she could have stayed in that one room, with that one little girl, for all of eternity and never get bored. Keith, however, made it quite plain that it was time to go. Biting back her tears, Brooke pressed her lips together in her signature line and pressed on, walking towards the front door.

"Oh, no," Keith shook his head and turned a corner, approaching a large staircase that was the center piece of the entrance to the house. He tilted his head towards them, "We're not leaving."

Brooke followed wearily, wondering what could come next. She couldn't have another baby? Could she? She wondered silently if it was just Julian after all or if the Scott sperm had some type of radioactive enhancement. Shaking her head, she followed Keith up the stairs silently. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she didn't say anything at all as she followed him to a room to the right of the stairs. It had French doors that opened into what appeared to be a master bedroom. Brooke looked around the corner cautiously, seeing a bathroom to her left and a walk in closet to her right. She again noted how impressed she was with this version of herself because of the decorating. She heard and light grumbling and she walked forward to catch up with Keith, who had moved ahead. Looking to the bed, she noticed a figure in the bed; her breath catching. Brooke was not a stupid woman, and she could tell by the look on Keith's face that the man in the bed had to be her husband, Lucas. Approaching slowly, Brooke watched his chest rise and fall in his sleep. She couldn't see his face, his back was turned to her, but his right shoulder was exposed. A light smile graced her lips when she noticed his tattoo; one very similar to the symbol on her hip.

_"Where were we?" Lucas set his cell phone on the bar, leaning towards Brooke with a small smile spreading across his face. Brooke noted how beautiful his eyes were before giggling and sipping at her beer._

_ She smirked and him and lowered her voice, "Why, are you having fun?" She titled her head and ran her finger around the rim of her drink._

_ Lucas nodded, "Uh huh," he replied through his drunken haze. He sighed, "I'm glad we did this." Truthfully, he was. Although Brooke was known for her party girl agenda, she had a way of drawing people in with her infectious giggle and drives to just live her life a bit on the wild side. All of this was so very new to Lucas. _

_ Brooke got caught in his eyes for a moment, and replied with a simple, "Good," because she thought that was all she could manage. Smiling again, she pulled herself from his deep blue eyes and lightened the mood, "So, what's your take on tattoos?" _

Brooke Davis was 17 years old when she met Lucas Scott, and now, 10 years later, she's standing in a bedroom that they supposedly would have shared. She walked around and saw pictures of them together, evidence of the life they would have had. Brooke held a picture in her hand, stroking the frame once over, because it was the only picture she knew existed in a past life. Lucas and Brooke beamed from the frame, a wide and bright smile plastered over her face as Lucas tried to kiss her. Her hand was over his lips, but you could see in his eyes that he was happy. Brooke's eyes welled and tears spilled over as she put the frame back on the wooden bedside table. Walking over to the side of the bed where Lucas lay, she smiled. His dirty blonde hair was cropped, the way she liked it, and he looked happy. Even in his sleep, his lips were turned up into a comfortable smile and he seemed relaxed. Next to his side of the bed, was another picture of them. This one was not a picture Brooke had ever seen, as it contained their daughter. Brooke was in a wedding dress, and Lucas was in a tux. Savannah was dressed in a small dress, and it appeared that she was the flower girl. She didn't looked much younger than she was at present, maybe a year or so younger. Brooke picked up the frame and tried to do the math in her head.

Keith saw the picture she was looking at and interjected, interrupting her internal thoughts. He pointed at the picture, "She was three when that was taken." He smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back, "She's five now, almost six."

Brooke pressed her lips together and sniffled, for lack of a better description. She put the frame back on the table, wondering to herself what it was like. She looked at the dress; it was simple, but nothing like what she had been looking at for her wedding to Julian. It was tight and strapless, of course as Brooke wouldn't even look at anything else. It was beaded on the bodice of the dress, and then flowed out lightly, with a train behind it. For her wedding to Julian, Brooke had already decided how she would wear her hair; up and tight as to not take away from whatever dress she chose. In her wedding picture with Lucas, her hair was down and wavy, her chocolate curls flowing past her collarbone. Her hair was lighter, as it had been for many years before reached her 20's. At 27, Brooke felt it was finally time to settle down, but looking at the photo was the first time she truly felt she was _settling._ For Julian, for the life she was leading and for anything else that didn't involve Lucas and Savannah. Her breath caught and more tears filled her eyes as she ripped her gaze from the photo back to Lucas. She rested her hand on his cheek, which had light stubble on it. This was the first time she noticed his left hand resting next to his head. Brooke rubbed the inside of her left ring finger with her thumb, searching for the ring that would complement the silver band on Lucas's. Coming to terms with the fact that this was not her life, Brooke sighed and backed away, swallowing her tears and again pressing her lips into a hard line. She looked at Keith and shook her head, "Why are you doing this to me?"


	4. Resurface

**AN: **Hey guys! Everyone has been complaining that the chapters are too short, so I tried my best to make this longer. I just want to let everyone know, that your reviews mean a lot to me. Even though the story is taking a new direction this chapter, it** is not **turning into a cliché Brucas fanfiction, so don't worry about that. Also, if you want to follow the write along for this story, the link to my twitter is on my author page. Lastly, the fanart for this story can be viewed on my Tumblr, the link is also on my author page.

I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter; we'll say 50 reviews for the next.

Enjoy, XOXOX

**IV. Resurface**

When we first enter the world, we scream. We cry and sob until we're all warm and being coddled. Not many people get to re-enter the world. Maybe the fact that we start out crying isn't such a great sign for the rest of our lives. If you had a chance to start over, do you think you'd cry about what you knew was coming? Or would you be so determined to make it better that crying just didn't even occur to you?

Everything was dark and calm for a few seconds. Then, it seemed, all hell broke loose. She felt a stabbing pain that shot from her chest up and down her arms and then she saw Keith again. Relief washed over her as the pain subsided minimally. Looking up at him, she realized she must have fallen over. Brooke reached for the side of the bed, but Keith knelt down and nudged her lightly, pushing her back down. Confused, but too exhausted to argue, Brooke just closed her eyes. She felt Keith brushing her hair from her face and he was whispering something, she just couldn't make it out…

"Clear." She heard it that time. Brooke heard it before she felt it, and then the process repeated itself. Keith appeared again, blurred significantly, but she heard what he was saying, "Just breathe, and let go." Confused by his words, but even more exhausted, Brooke did what she was told. Slowly, she felt a harsh cold grip her legs and move up her body, and she was shaking. Everything was black again, and she couldn't feel anything but the intense pain moving up and down her body as she shook violently. As the cold subsided, intense pain set in. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't find her voice. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't even form tears; which was ironic, because all she had been doing mere minutes ago was crying. All she could do was what Keith told her to do, which was basically nothing. She heard beeping that seemed so very far away, but she was too tired to think about what it was. Too tired…

It was too white. Everything was white and bright, and there was noise - so much noise. Brooke tested her consciousness, wiggling her fingers and toes. She felt dry sheets rub up against them, and everything slowly got louder as she came to. Before she could even open her eyes, a feeling of guilt washed over her. The first time, she never got a chance to give Keith a proper goodbye, but then again, no one did. This time, she had all that time to just tell him how much everyone missed and how sorry she was for everything that happened to him. Of course, Brooke harbored some guilt for being the reason that Lucas went back into the school, hence the reason Keith did, but she had managed to push those emotions away for many years. Now, all of her teenage emotions were brought back to the surface, as well as many more confusing ones. She felt guilty for not giving Keith a proper goodbye, but she felt confused and oddly empty. Brooke missed a life that she never really had. She tried to sigh, but an unbelievable pain stopped her short. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye as they both popped open, and Julian was at her side within a second. Brooke smiled halfheartedly at him, "Hey there."

Julian breathed a sigh of relief, grasping Brooke's right hand tightly and kissing it, "I was so worried." At that moment, the only thing running through Brooke's mind was that she really, truly, did not care.

She patted Julian's hand with her free one, well as seemingly free as a hand in a cast can be, and nodded, "It's alright. I'm all in one piece." Brooke hadn't actually looked at herself until that moment, and she noticed a very large bulge where her leg should be, she sighed and lifted the sheet to reveal a cast up to her knee, "Ugh. Well, that's unpleasant."

Julian chuckled quietly, obviously drained from the whole experience, and sighed, "Well yeah, you did quite a number on yourself, Davis."

All in all, Brooke sustained two broken ribs, a concussion, a broken leg and a broken hand. Apparently, Brooke had lost vision because of the storm, and smashed into the guard rail. It could have been worse, but she had gotten most of the impact on driver's side. She had been put into a medically-induced coma in order to check for any brain damage, and to assess damage. Her bones were placed and casted for healing and she awoke 11 hours later.

Brooke's doctor shut her file and smiled at her, "You're very a lucky girl, Ms. Davis. You must have fans up there," he motioned to the ceiling, and then winked, bowing out of the room quickly.

Brooke sighed, resting her arms on either side of her broken body. Lucky, she guessed; because she got to always wonder. Wonder what would happen if she just called Lucas right now and asked him if he could come to Tree Hill so she could talk to him about a vision she had of his dead uncle showing her around their beautiful house and letting her meet their gorgeous daughter. She rolled her eyes and blew her bangs from her face, because obviously that would work out well. Brooke had this internal argument with herself before finally being struck with genius, "Nathan." Picking up the phone, she dialed the number she had memorized, the Scott's. As the dial tone rang, she spun the cord of the phone around her finger, chewing her lip nervously. Now that she thought about it, why hadn't her best friends come to visit her in the hospital?

"Hello?" The deep tone of Nathan Scott greeted her unenthusiastically.

Brooke scoffed silently and then cleared her throat, "Hey Nate, it's Brooke." She considered jumping right in and asking why they haven't been to see her, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt, hoping maybe he'd say that he was just on his way out the door to see her.

It sounded like Nathan bit something, and then it was clear to Brooke that he was _eating _on the phone with her, "Sup?"

Brooke clenched her jaw and bit her tongue, taking a breather before replying. He was so insolent sometimes, where were his manners? "So why haven't you been to see me? Do you have something better to do than to visit your best friend in the hospital?" Her tone was a bit biting at the end, but she thought that perhaps she reserved the right to be a little angry.

There was a scrambling at the other end and far-off, "Haley! Come down here," before Nathan returned to the phone and answered her, "We're on our way." The phone went dead.

Brooke let out a sigh of disbelief before hanging the phone up on the hook. Had they really not known? She crossed her arms over her chest and wondered why no one else had come. Julian didn't tell anyone? Wondering idly how long she had been in the hospital, Brooke gave her husband-to-be a little credit, thinking maybe she'd gotten here late at night and he didn't call anyone then fell asleep. She sighed and looked at the clock, realizing it's 5:30 PM. There was no way Julian could have forgotten to call all of her friends this whole entire hospital stay. Now that Brooke thought about it, she hadn't seen Julian since she woke up. He went to go and get coffee and never came back. She leaned back in her bed and was just breathing. She looked at the ceiling, which seemingly just had a crack repaired, it appeared. She sized-up the tacky floral wallpaper in light shades and neutral-sex colors and the plain, synthetic sheets that made her skin feel dry. She watched the green beams go up and down with her heart rate and listening to the calming beeping before drifting off slowly into a deep sleep.

"Brooke," Haley shook her friends shoulder lightly, "Brooke…"

Brooke's eyes opened slowly, one at a time, as she yawned loudly. She rubbed her eye and pushed herself upwards, "Hey Tutor mom." She was grinning sleepily, but Haley did not return the smile, "What's the matter?"

Haley sat on the empty space on the bed next to Brooke, looking concerned. She brushed some of Brooke's hair from her forehead and looked at her seriously, "Brooke, when is the last time you saw Julian?" Haley moved her own caramel locks behind her ear, resting her free hand on top of Brooke's.

Brooke tilted her head, confused. She looked at Haley's posture and suddenly felt bad for being so harsh with Nathan; Haley looked exhausted. Brooke squeezed Haley's hand appreciatively and replied, "I don't know, why?" She raised an eyebrow suspiciously; the whole situation was becoming more shady by the minute.

"The police are looking for him." Haley pressed her lips into a thin line, and she looked angry. Brooke was confused as to why the police would be looking for Julian, but then it clicked together in Brooke's mind, somewhat.

Brooke bit her lip and then looked up at Haley, "He left to go get coffee this morning, after I woke up, and he didn't come back." She shrugged and her breath got caught in her throat, "What did he do?"

Haley pulled Brooke's hand into her lap and squeezed it in return before suddenly becoming entranced with the bed sheets. Brooke nudged her before she finally looked her in the eye and told her, "They think that _this_ is his fault." She motioned to Brooke's casted-up body.

Brooke pulled her hand back from Haley and pushed herself into straighter posture. Overcome with emotions, ranging from anger to betrayal, which really aren't that far at all, Brooke demanded to know why, "It was just an accident. Why would anyone have anything to do with it at all?"

"Your brake lines were cut, Brooke." She sighed and shook her head, absentmindedly rubbing her growing baby bump, "It wasn't an accident."

Brooke's mouth went to her mouth and she shook her head. Why do these things happen to her? She got attacked at her store, her business went under and now her fiancée tried to kill her. What a life she lived. Taking a shaky breath Brooke shook her head, "Why?"

Haley shrugged, enveloping her friend into her arms. She rubbed her back as tears spilled from Brooke's eyes. Many would think the tears were from losing Julian; another failed relationship. For the first time in a long time, Brooke was not worried about that. More than anything, she wanted to know what to do with the information she received in another life, because this life was the last thing on her mind. After about 20 minutes of letting her emotions override her, Brooke straightened up and sniffled, wiping her tears from her eyes. Although she feared it might be awkward for Haley, she had no choice but to forge ahead.

"Hey," Brooke clamped on her lip nervously, "do you think I could talk to Nate for a minute?" She played with her fingers, as she always did when she was asking a favor, "Alone?"

Haley raised an eyebrow, but she trusted Brooke. They had been friends far too long not to, and she was sure that whatever Brooke needed was important, "Sure." She walked out of the room and conversed with her husband for a few minutes before Nathan walked in, his tallness making Brooke feel small.

"Hey, what's up?" He sat on the chair next to the bed, not wanting to crowd her on the bed. He leaned forward and waited patiently as Brooke got her wits together and decided how she was going to approach this very sensitive topic.

"I know you're going to think I'm crazy," Brooke began, but Nathan was already shaking his head, a small smile on his lips. Brooke held up a hand to silence him, and he complied, letting Brooke continue. She took a deep breath and silently asked Keith to give her his way with words for a moment, "When you got into that car accident senior year, you said you saw..."

"Keith, right, Brooke I don't know why we have to talk about this…" His face flushed; obviously he was still embarrassed about it. No one believed him when Nathan said he was no hero, that Keith came to him and helped him save Rachel and Cooper, not even Brooke.

Brooke reached out for his hand and shook her head, "No, it's not like that." She looked down at her sheets before finally getting the courage to come out and say it. She looked him in the eyes and decided that there would be no articulate way of saying it, "I saw him too," She braced himself for the wild looks, but Nathan looked purely confused as she continued, "and I need your help."


	5. Blue

**AN: **Hey guys, quick warning - this is really short. It's short because the next chapter gets into some Brucas stuff, and I really want some story promotion before that. Please promote the story, because reviews and traffic on the story has MAJORLY dropped, and if I don't get to 55 reviews, it will go on hiatus. So 55 for the next chapter, which I PROMISE has some Brucas. For now, here's just some Lucas for ya.

Enjoy :)

xoxox

**V. Blue**

Lucas Scott was never happy. It was not something to pity him for, and it was not something to hate him for; it just was. Happiness eluded him all of his life, he believed; he couldn't remember a time when he was truly happy. He thought maybe it was his first girlfriend that made him unhappy, so he left her. Then he thought it was being alone, so he got someone new. Then he thought maybe it was the town he lived in, so he left. He turned on his family, because what else could it be? Now he was alone, and he had no one to blame but himself.

He sat in the living room of his one-bedroom apartment alone with a six-pack of beer, which is how he spent most of his Wednesday afternoons. He had a basketball game on, but he was too inebriated to notice what teams were playing at that point. When the phone rang, it felt like a shot to the head for Lucas. He pushed himself from his couch and went to go look at the called ID, since he really didn't feel like dealing with any bill collectors or bullshit today. His bleary eyes squinted at the small screen until he could make out a name, "Tree Hill Hosp." and a phone number beneath it. Lucas sighed; he should have known the only time anyone would call him would be if someone was in the hospital. After all, it was all too often for the Scott's, anyway.

"Hello?" He slurred, taking another swig of his beer as he waited for the doctor to tell him who got into a car accident this time. Tree Hill was so dramatic these days. People getting beat up and robbed and shit. He shook his head inwardly, clearing his throat. He was all prepared to play sober until he heard the voice on the other line. It was his brother.

"Get dressed; I'm picking you up, asshole." Nathan hung up the phone and looked at the sleeping Brooke, wondering how anyone possibly still believes they could see a dead person, let alone two people that know each other. Keith must have some type of special powers, or something. Nathan brushed Brooke's hair from her face and sighed, getting ready to go and get his very drunk brother. He walked out of the door and saw Haley sleeping against the doorframe. He suddenly felt very guilt for taking so long with Brooke, so he picked up his slightly-showing pregnant wife and rested her next to Brooke; it still amazed him that they were both as tiny as they were in high school. Kissing each of their foreheads, Nathan walked out of the hospital.

Lucas tried to rush as fast as he could, getting all of his important things together. He grabbed his cash, his beer and the four shirts he owned. The only pair of jeans he owned was on his body, so it seemed he had grabbed everything important. Snatching his keys off the counter of his tiny kitchen, Lucas ran out of the apartment door. His brother was the last person Lucas wanted to see in this state, or any state at this point in his life for that matter. By the time he got his, formerly Keith's, car, he was fumbling the things he was carrying in his hands. Trying to maneuver everything so that he could open the trunk, the shirts were taken from him.

"You need some help?" Nathans sighed and took the keys from the dumbfounded Lucas before he even had a chance to fight back, "I know you weren't about to drive this, very nice, getaway car completely wasted, right?"

Lucas dumped all of the things he was holding in his hands on top of the trunk of the car and shoved Nathan with all of his might. He gritted his teeth, wanting more than anything to just drive to the liquor store and drink himself into a stupor, "Of course not, _little brother_."

Nathan lifted his hands in surrender and stepped back, shaking his head at his brother. It was pathetic to watch the golden one fall from glory. He sighed and crossed his arms across his chest, staring into his brothers eyes. They were bloodshot, and showed no emotion whatsoever as he asked, "So where's Peyton?"

Lucas laughed from deep in his throat, but the laugh was not one of amusement. Sarcasm laced his tone as he grabbed a beer from the case resting on his car, "Are you slow?" He chugged back half of the beer and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, "Peyton's gone."

Nathan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, because Lucas had not mentioned that in the card. The only way that Nathan and Haley knew where Lucas lived was because about seven months ago, Lucas sent Jamie a birthday card with ten dollars inside it, stating that he was "Sorry he missed the last few." Nathan scoffed at the card and threw it away, but Jamie kept the money. Lucas said nothing about Peyton, or even Sawyer for that matter, "What do you mean 'gone'? What about Sawyer?"

"Gone," Lucas didn't reveal any emotion, or look at his brother. The only thing he did was dig his free hand deep in his pocket and use the other one to throw back his beer.

Nathan was growing tired of Lucas's incompetence. He sighed, and tried again, "What does 'gone' mean, exactly?"

Lucas finished the beer and crumpled the aluminum container in his hand before tossing it. It's not like the parking lot wasn't full of trash already; he lived in a hell hole. He sighed and looked at Nathan straight on for the first real time since he got there. "They left, Nathan. They left almost a year ago," Lucas chuckled sarcastically again, shaking his head, "but you wouldn't know that, would you?"

Gritting his teeth, Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets as to not do anything he would regret later. "Don't blame us. You and Peyton up and left Tree Hill and never came back." Nathan kicked the beer car that landed near his feet and then looked back up at his brother, "Not a word from you. It's like you were never there at all." Nathan shrugged, "So why'd she leave?"

Lucas shook his head and his voice dropped significantly and he started gathering back up his things from his car, "Oh, Peyton never leaves." Lucas slammed his fist on the back of his car, startling his brother. Lucas smirked and looked at Nathan, "People drive her away, right?" He shook his head and started walking towards his apartment, "You can come if you want, but it's messy." Lucas shrugged and started up the stairs, then unlocked the door on the second floor. It was red, but it was the only door on the floor with that particular color on it.

"What's with the fire engine door?" Nathan motioned towards Lucas's door as he passed it by, shutting it behind himself.

Lucas shrugged, "I like red." He threw his belongings on the counter, and that's when Nathan finally had a real chance to look around.

It was too dark to really see anything, besides the glare from the TV. Nathan glanced around and realized it smelled like his apartment during high school. Mostly beer and mildew from drinking and not cleaning; ever. Every time he took a step forward, he was almost afraid he was going to step on gum or some type of rodent. He sighed and shook his head, "What the hell man?" Nathan waved in front of his nose, as if smelling a stink, "This place is nasty."

Shrugging again, Lucas collapsed back onto his couch, cracking open another beer, "Have a beer. It goes away after a few of 'em." Reached for the remote, Nathan noticed that Lucas didn't wear a wedding ring. He shook his head and sat down next to Lucas, despite his gut saying that he was going to have to throw away his jeans afterward, "So what's up with you and Peyton? Break or what…"

"We're divorced." Lucas cut Nathan short. He didn't leave any explanation, nor did he sound like he wanted to delve into his and Peyton's relationship.

Nathan cleared his throat and tried again, "What about Sawyer?" He was sure talking about his daughter would have to bring up some kind of emotion.

Lucas shook his head, "She's not mine." Yes, it brought up an emotion; bitterness.

"What?" Nathan sputtered, since that really made no sense. Peyton and Lucas had been together for almost a year when Sawyer was conceived, and Peyton had been waiting so long for Lucas, why would she cheat?

Turning to Nathan, Lucas put his beer on the coffee table, which seemed to be covered with mail and newspapers. He sighed and seemed to decide against whatever he was going to do, which Nathan firmly believed involved hitting him. Lucas leaned against the back of the couch again and replied, "She's Jake's. Peyton is with Jake now."

Nathan nodded and dropped the subject, since Lucas made it quite plain that he did not want to talk about this any further. It wasn't impossible, he countered in his mind, Peyton was known for cheating. Also, Sawyer never really did resemble Lucas at all, "Oh."

Lucas nodded and chugged the rest of his beer, "Yup." He flicked the basketball game on mute and again turned to face his brother, "So why are you here, Nathan?"


	6. Queen of Hearts

**AN: **Hey guys, so sorry for the long wait. I hit a bout of writers block, and I've been working a lot lately. As I promised, there is Brucas meeting in this chapter! It gets better in the next chapter, but if you don't know the story about Brucas & the Queen of Hearts please go search it on YouTube. There is a great video on there that breaks down the whole thing! I don't want anyone to read this chapter if they don't know about it, because then they would think the ending is just totally dumb...

Anyways, Enjoy :)

XOXOXO

**VI. The Queen of Hearts**

Let's face it; the only thing to lessen awkward situations is to drink. At least, that's the way Brooke Davis lives her life. After being out of the hospital for three days, she was sitting on the couch at the Scott residence, her casted leg elevated on the coffee table in front of her. Arms crossed against her chest, she sighed, flipping through the channels on their flat screen television. A few seconds later, Haley walked in with a sandwich with the crusts cut off.

Brooke made a face that almost said the words for her "Are you serious, Hales?"

Shaking her head, Haley smiled and put the sandwich on Brooke's lap, plopping on the couch next to her. She cast Brooke a sidelong glance and then cleared her throat, wanting to get straight to the point, "So Lucas is coming tonight. Are you going to talk to him?" She had been pestering Brooke for days, ever since Brooke broke down and told Haley about her dream of sorts in the hospital.

Brooke groaned loudly and then looked at Haley, "No!" She practically shouted at Haley, but she was frustrated. It was confusing enough to deal with her feelings about Lucas, without everyone pressuring her to make a decision. Obviously, they were both single. Brooke found that out shortly after Nathan's visit with him. However, that didn't automatically mean they were destined to be together! That was just one scenario of Brooke's life. One that she had already opted out of, she reprimanded herself.

"Brooke, I'm sure if you just talked to him…" Haley trailed off, not sure where her thought was going. What was she going to say? That Brooke could just tell Lucas the details of what their life could have been and then hope he didn't send her to the asylum? Haley even had to admit, that was a rather shaky plan.

Brooke pushed herself up off the couch with all the upper body strength she could muster and then grabbed her crutches. She looked down at Haley and pursed her lips, before hobbling off, "There's nothing to talk about!"

Haley sighed and pulled her phone out of her pocket, quickly dialing her husband's number. Thus far, convincing Lucas to return to some semblance of a normal life had been more than difficult. Nathan was keeping Haley updated, but apparently Lucas had grown a little friendly with his alcohol, and rather unfriendly with his brother. She chewed her lips as the phone rung, and when Nathan answered, he sounded pretty uplifted, which Haley hoped was a good sign, "Hey honey."

Nathan was standing outside of Lucas' apartment, waiting for him to come down. He had finally finished cleaning Luke's (disgusting) apartment, along with the help of a cheap maid service. It was amazing how much useless crap Lucas could fit in his tiny one-bedroom apartment. Nathan leaned against Lucas' Mustang and sighed, "Hey baby how's everything at home?" Nathan was hoping that things were going better there than they had been here. Although Nathan had finally managed to get on Lucas' good side, it had taken him almost three days to convince his brother to come home.

"Good. Brooke is excited about the party." Haley lied through her teeth. Brooke had been going on rampages about how much pressure everyone was putting on her. She had never once said that she actually wanted to have a party, she only specified that she 'needed a drink' on more than one occasion.

Nathan could tell Haley was lying, but he spared himself the trouble of arguing with her to find out the truth. He would like to believe Brooke was excited just as much as Haley would. He sighed and saw Lucas coming down the stairs, "Alright well, we're on our way home. I'll see you soon. I love you." He didn't wait for a response as he hung up the phone and dropped it in his back pocket.

Lucas approached Nathan, holding his car keys in his hand. His hair was still wet from the shower, but he felt better. He shaved and washed his jeans, he was finally feeling a little normal, although everything seemed a bit too bright for him. He looked at Nathan as he unlocked his car, "Are you getting in or what?"

Nathan laughed and shook his head, opening the passenger door and climbing in it. Needless to say, he was a little hesitant about driving with Lucas but obviously Lucas was going to let anyone, even his own brother, touch the only thing of value that Lucas owned. "Let's go home." Nathan leaned back in the seat and rolled down his window.

Lucas' mind wandered at that point. He wondered if, when he returned to Tree Hill, he would still feel it was home or if it would seem like an alien planet to him. He, personally, felt the latter would be more likely but he didn't write it off just yet. As hesitant as he was, he felt something within him that had been void from his life for too long now. Whether it was excitement or apprehension he wasn't sure, but he did know that he was glad that he was feeling something other than miserable. He shifted his car into gear and headed back to Tree Hill, "Yeah. Let's go home."

Two hours and 36 minutes later, Lucas and Nathan walked into Nathan and Haley's house. Nathan carried Lucas' duffle bag to the top of the stairs and put in the guest room, which Haley had cleaned so Lucas could stay there. Brooke, currently, was sleeping the guest room beside it. He threw the duffle on the bed and then turned to Lucas, "Try to keep it under control tonight, will you?" He leaned against the doorframe and sighed.

"What is this party for anyway?" Lucas sat down on the bed, testing it out before looking back at Nathan. Nathan had conveniently dodged this question by saying it was 'just for family' or that it 'wasn't really a party.'

"I told you," Nathan said pointedly, "it's not a party." Although he had constantly avoided telling Lucas that the party was for Brooke, he figured he better let him in on the secret. He thought hard about how to tell Lucas that his ex was going to be living in the same household as him for however long Lucas decided to stay for. "If you really want to know, we're just celebrating Brooke getting out of the hospital." Nathan shrugged and walked out of the room before Lucas could argue any further.

Unfortunately for Nathan, Lucas didn't let the subject die that easily, "Wait, Brooke's here?" Lucas followed Nathan into the hallway, but his tone wasn't laced with anything other than pure curiosity and surprise. The last time Lucas had seen Brooke was at his wedding to Peyton. He was numb to the thought of Peyton by now, and he felt nothing thinking of that day. For a long time, he felt so much hatred and animosity, but he moved on. Absently, Lucas wondered how Brooke and Julian were doing. He turned his focus to his brother again, "Is Julian here?"

Nathan shook his head and clenched his fist, "No. Look, we'll talk about this later, okay? You should go see Haley." He sighed and turned his back again, heading for the stairs, "She's really missed you, Luke."

Lucas felt a pang of guilt but was distracted by a loud curse to his right. It sounded as though someone had fallen, so Lucas rushed towards the small white door, "Hello?" He wasn't sure whether he should just walk in or not, so he knocked and then opened the door without waiting for a response."

Brooke had made a weak attempt at taking a shower when Lucas busted in the door like some type of superhero. She was trying to get Haley's over-sized sweatpants around her giant cast when she tripped and fell, cursing loudly. She looked up at Lucas, trying her best to conceal her embarrassment, "Hey Broody." She shimmied on the ground uncomfortably, pulling Haley's sweats back up.

Lucas first noticed Brooke's cast before letting his eyes wander. He was entranced momentarily; he had forgotten all about Brooke's… assets. He smiled his signature half-smile at his old nickname and responded quickly, refocusing his attention on helping her up. He bent down, draping Brooke's arm around his shoulder and lifting her up with ease, "How are you doing, Brooke?" He helped her walk out of the tiny bathroom, and grabbed the crutches he failed to notice were leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom.

After Brooke readjusted herself on her crutches, she looked up at Lucas and smiled. Her stomach was fluttering wildly, but she remained composed as she assessed him. He looked good, for being through so much. Oddly enough, he looked rather similar to the Lucas she had seen only days ago. She flipped her hair, moving her bangs out of her face before responding, "Obviously, I've been better. It's good to see you, Lucas."

Lucas smiled and nodded, wondering idly why Brooke had been in the hospital. He didn't want to ask her about it, and ruin the casual conversation they were having now, so he let it sit momentarily. He made a mental note to come back to it later. Reaching out, he moved Brooke's bangs behind her ear and leaned against the doorframe, "It's good to see you too." He crossed his arms against his chest and looked down sheepishly, "You look great." He added as an afterthought.

Brooke blushed slightly, rolling her eyes, "Don't I always?" She laughed and hobbled towards the stairs. Taking a breath to calm herself, she looked over her shoulder, beckoning Lucas with her head, "Little help?"

Lucas pushed himself off of the wall and walked over towards her, grabbing her crutches and putting them both under his arm. With his free one, he held Brooke by the small of her waist and transferred her weight, "Sure thing, Cheery."

Brooke giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, shaking her neck, "I was more referring to you holding my crutches while I made a jump for it," She smiled as she took her crutches back from him at the bottom of the stairs, "but that works too."

Lucas shook his head and walked with her into the Scott kitchen, where it appeared Haley and Nathan had started the party early. Haley was sipping what appeared to be sparkling grape juice out of a bulbous glass and Nathan was throwing back a beer, watching Haley cook something that smelled oddly like his mom's chili to Lucas. Coming up behind Haley, Lucas hugged her tightly, laughed, "Hey Hales."

Haley squealed, putting her glass down and turning around to face her best friend. She hugged him before taking a step back and looking at him as a mother looks at a son after a period of separation. She grinned and gave him another hug, "Where have you been? We missed you!"

"I'm sorry." He rubbed her back before leaning against the counter behind him, "I'm here now." He walked over to their refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer, poising himself next to his brother.

Brooke follow suite, grabbing the bottle of vodka from the cabinet above the stove, which was far too high for Jamie to reach. She pulled shot glasses out from behind them and maneuvered her way over to the counter, somehow managing all of this on crutches. It was amazing to see what she could do to get her alcohol. "What are you, stiffs?" She chuckled, pouring herself a shot and downing it quickly afterward, "Too stuck up for the hard stuff now?" She kinked an eyebrow, sitting on one of the stools at the counter.

Lucas put down his beer and poured himself a shot, offering it up in a 'cheers' motion and then taking it with stride. "Now, now Brooke, don't bite off more than you can chew." He laughed and grabbed his beer, going back to taking sips of it.

Haley and Nathan looked on with amusement, before Haley abandoned them momentarily and came back with a stack of cards. She laughed and laid them out, handing her husband a shot glass and keeping one for herself, "The game is Black or Red." She shuffled the cards and laid them in a pile in front of herself, explaining the game to them. Essentially, one guesses if the card on top of the deck is either black or red. If the "guesser" is right, they choose someone else to take a shot. If they're wrong, they take one themselves, "Obviously," Haley added, "I'll be taking shots of that sparkling crap we have." She placed a hand on her subtle baby bump and sighed.

"Oh, this sounds fun." Brooke clapped and grinned, her dimples gracing her cheeks as she ran her finger around the rim of her shot glass.

Nathan nodded and then shrugged, pouring himself a shot, "Let's do it."

Lucas sat down next to Brooke and poured himself another shot in preparation for his probable losing. He cast a sidelong glance at Brooke again, and took her in while she wasn't watching. She was still wearing Haley's sweatpants and a muscle tank top that fit her snugly. Her hair was up in one of those messy buns, that seemed complicated on the outside but in reality were probably the easiest things for girls to do. Her bangs fell in her face, and her infectious laughter filled the room. Quickly, Lucas realized he was staring at her and he refocused his attention to the game, "Whose turn?"

Brooke raised her hand as she continued to nurse her shot glass. It appeared Nathan had already lost as he had a look of disgust across his face that showed clearly he hadn't drank a lot since his run-in with alcohol in the years before. She pressed her lips together and in typical Brooke Davis fashion, guessed, "Red."

Haley laughed and flipped the card, revealing Brooke was correct in her guess, "Queen of Hearts."


End file.
